The Ukrainian military has started using cluster munitions on the frontlines as part of its ongoing counteroffensive in the Donbas and the southern part of the country.
Using these destructive munitions, the Ukrainian military aims to break the extensive Russian defenses and achieve an operational breakthrough.
Reports from the ground indicate that the Ukrainians are shooting cluster munitions against the Russian forces around Bakhmut.
Cluster Munitions and the Ukrainian Counteroffensive
The Ukrainian forces have made particular progress in the vicinity of the town of Bakhmut in the Donbas.
The Russian forces only captured the ruined town in May after a siege that lasted a year and cost more than 100,000 casualties. Indeed, the Russian rank and file is starting to get concerned about the situation around Bakhmut.
Cluster munitions are helping the Ukrainian forces advance.
“At the moment, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are demolishing our positions in the Bakhmut direction with cluster munitions,” Russian military bloggers said on Telegram.
“The counter-battery fight does not work. Everything is burning all around. The men are holding on, waiting for aviation. The [Russian] General Staff has not yet handed over cluster bombs and rockets with cluster munitions to our guys for [sic] answers. It remains only to believe in our guys and our pilots,” the Russian military blogger added on the popular social media platform.
Cluster munitions are particularly effective against concentrations of troops and weapon systems because they are packed with smaller bomblets and have a larger kill radius than conventional munitions.
The U.S. produced this type of munition for about 20 years (1970s to 1990s) and has a stock of artillery shells (105mm, 155mm, and 203mm) as well as rockets that can be fired by the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Cluster munitions will help the Ukrainian forces clear the extensive Russian trench lines that slither the contact line and help prevent an operational breakthrough. Moreover, by sending Ukraine cluster munitions, the United States bought itself some time to increase production of the 155mm artillery shell stocks that are in extremely high demand in Ukraine.
Russian Casualties in Ukraine
Meanwhile, on day 514 of the Russian invasion, the Russian forces continue to take significant casualties on the ground.
Although the Russian military is amassing a force in eastern Ukraine, its ability to conduct large-scale offensive operations with success has been seriously undermined by the extremely high casualties in men and weapon systems it has suffered thus far in the conflict.
Overall, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that as of Friday, Ukrainian forces have killed and wounded approximately 240,690 Russian troops, destroyed 322 fighter, attack, bomber, and transport jets, 310 attack and transport helicopters, 4,133 tanks, 4,610 artillery pieces, 8.080 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 692 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), 18 boats and cutters, 7,145 vehicles and fuel tanks, 440 anti-aircraft batteries, 3,933 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 686 special equipment platforms, such as bridging vehicles, and four mobile Iskander ballistic missile systems, and 1,298 cruise missiles shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses.
A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
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